Adjustable frame holder

ABSTRACT

An adjustable frame holder particularly adapted for holding a frame, such as a storm window or screen, for painting or maintenance work. The frame holder includes an upright support with a tripod base and a pair of plate members attached to the upper extremity thereof one of which is journaled on the other and carries a bar with a pair of angle-shaped holder members positioned thereon to engage the sides of the frame and securely hold the same. The holders are adjustable with one holder being slidably mounted on the bar and spring biased toward the other to provide a positive gripping surface on the frame being held. The plates have holes therethrough and a locking pin is mounted on the support to permit adjustment of the bar and frame holders in a plurality of angular positions relative to the support for ease in usage.

United States Patent [72] Inventor George E. Ros St. Paul, Minn. [21] Appl. No. 877,293 [22] Filed Nov. 17, 1969 [45] Patented Jan. 4, 1972 [73] Assignee Frances R. Drake Minnetonka, Minn. a part interest [54] ADJUSTABLE FRAME HOLDER 6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl r. 269/70, 269/74, 269/254 [51] Int. Cl 823g 1/04 [50] Field of Search 269/56, 59, 62, 63, 69, 70, 74, 76, 254, 321 F [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,654,147 10/1953 Wilson et a1. 269/70 2,803,872 8/1957 Massa 269/76 X 3,124,346 3/1964 Foster 269/70 741,562 10/1903 Soety 269/76 X 2,106,367 1/1938 Vollmer 269/70 2,106,525 1/1938 Henry 269/70 FOREIGN PATENTS 584,893 11/1958 Italy 269/69 Primary Examiner-William S. Lawson Attorney-Schroeder, Siegfried & Ryan ABSTRACT: An adjustable frame holder particularly adapted for holding a frame, such as a stonn window or screen, for painting or maintenance work. The frame holder includes an upright support with a tripod base and a pair of plate members attached to the upper extremity thereof one of which is jour naled on the other and carries a bar with a pair of anglcshaped holder members positioned thereon to engage the sides of the frame and securely hold the same. The holders are adjustable with one holder being slidably mounted on the bar and spring biased toward the other to provide a positive gripping surface on the frame being held. The plates have holes therethrough and a locking pin is mounted on the support to permit adjustment of the bar and frame holders in a plurality of angular positions relative to the support for ease in usage.

ADJUSTABLE FRAME HOLDER My invention relates to holder structures and more particularly to an improved adjustable frame holder to orient a frame which is held through a plurality of positions.

Holding structures and support structures for holding articles of various shapes and sizes are well known and recognized. Normally such structures are stationary, but when they are made movable or adjustable they do not permit the accommodation of varying sized articles with the same structure. Previous attempts have been made to provide a simplified supporting structure for frames, such as window screens and the like, but the resulting equipment did not permit adjustability for varying sizes of frames or rotatability for the same for ease in maintenance and painting.

In the present adjustable frame holder, and improved holder structure is provided which will receive and rigidly mount windows or screens or frames of varying sizes to support the same for maintenance, such as painting, puttying or the like. Further the frame holder permits rotation of the article or frame held through a plurality of angular positions for ease in performing the work thereon. Such a frame holder could also be used for holding a frame for weaving, needlepoint work or the like. Because of the particular work to be performed thereon, it is desirable for the person doing the work on a frame to rotate the same through a plurality of positions for accessibility and ease in performing the work. ln the improved frame holder, a rigid base and an upright support is provided with a frame holder attached thereto which is rotatable thereon through a plurality of angular positions relative thereto. lt is capable of being locked in any of the angular positions and includes a foot-operated release mechanism for ease in adjustability. Further the frame holder is adjustable to accommodate varying sizes of frames increasing its versatility. The improved frame holder is also collapsible at its base such that it may be readily stored and transported when not in use.

Therefore it is the principle object of this invention to provide an improved adjustable frame holder.

Another object of this invention is to provide an adjustable frame holder which will receive and securely hold frames such as windows, screens, weaving frames, etc., and will rotate the same through a plurality of positions in the same plane for ease in work thereon.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved adjustable frame holder of this type which is readily locked and unlocked in any of its rotatable positions.

These and other objects of this invention will become apparent from the reading of the attached description together with the drawings wherein:

FIG. I is a prospective view of the improved adjustable frame holder,

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a portion of the frame holder showing degrees of angular adjustment or rotation of the holding portion of the holder,

H6. 3 is an elevation view of the frame holder with a frame mounted therein.

My improved adjustable frame holder is indicated generally at and includes a tripod base section formed by a plurality of legs 12 which are attached to and slidably mount on a central shaft or upright support member 15. The legs 12 at their upper extremity are connected together by a slidable coupling member 16 which slides on the shaft or upright support member and tie linkages 18 pivotally connected to the legs 12 intermediate to their extent are secured to and pivot on the extremity of the support member in a conventional manner as indicated at 19. Thus the stand or base section will have a broad base for support which is collapsible for storage. The top extremity of the shaft or support member 15 mounts a flat plate member 20 which is secured to the shaft by means of a bolt secured thereto, indicated at 22, which extends through an aperture in the support member 15 and has a nut 24 threaded thereon to secure the plate member 20 to the support member 15. Plate member 20 mounts a shaft 25 on its face which extends normal thereto and is centrally located thereon. A second plate member 30, preferably of the same shape and dimensions and with an aperture in the center of the same, is positioned on the shaft 25 and over the first plate member in sliding contact therewith. Mounted on this second plate member 30 is a rod or bar 40 which similarly has an aperture at or near the center of the same. The bar 40 is secured to the second plate member 30 and with the shaft 25 extending through the aperture of the same such that suitable locking or securing means secures the plate 20 and shaft 40 to the plate 20 and for rotation relative thereto. The plate members 20 and 30 may be square, rectangular or circular or any polygonal shape and are shown here in a square for simplicity. The plates 20 and 30 have apertures 42 therethrough at equally spaced points, such as at the corners, which apertures will align with given angular relative rotation between the plates. With the apertures in the corner locations, four angular positions of relative movement are provided between the plates with alignment of the apertures. Additional apertures may be placed intermediate the sides of the plate members and spaced radially out from the shaft 25 to coincide with the spacing of the apertures 42 with the respect of the supporting shaft to increase or double the number of relative positions in which the frame holder may be locked or secured. The frame holder is locked by means of a pin 50 which is carried by a plate 52 pivotally mounted on a U-shaped flange 55 positioned between the plate 20 and the support member 15 and secured thereto. The pin will slidably move longitudinally through the apertures 42 in the plate members to unlock and to lock the same against relative movement. As shown herein, plate 52 is pivoted on flange 55 by means of a linkage 60 attached thereto, which linkage extends along the extent of the support member 15 and is guided by eyelets 62 positioned thereon. The linkage 60 is connected to a footoperating pedal 65 located at the base of the stand. A suitable bias spring 65 attached between the end of the support member 15 and the plate 52 insures that the pin 50 will be urged toward or held in position in the apertures 42 in the plate members whenever the pedal member 65 is not operated or depressed. Release of the pin 50 from the apertures is effected by depressing pedal 65 to rotate plate 52 causing pin 50 to slide outwardly away from the plate members. Thus it will be seen that the bar 40 may be rotated to a plurality of positions and locked in any of the positions through the locking mechanism.

Positioned on the bar 40 is a first holder member, indicated at 70, which holder member is slidably positioned thereon. A bolt 72 extending through the holder member and any one of a plurality of apertures 75 in the bar secures the same at varying positions along the extent of the bar and near one extremity of the same with a wing nut 74 threaded on the end of the same. The holder member includes an L or angle-shaped frame attached thereto, one side of which is positioned normal to the extent of the bar and includes screws 78 threaded therethrough for the purpose of biting into or securely engaging the surface of a frame, which would normally be made of wood. A similar holder member 80 encircles the support member or bar 40 at the opposite extremity and includes the L or angle-shaped holder member 82 with the screws or pointed surfaces 85 therein which surfaces will face the similar surfaces on the holder member 76. A spring is secured at one extremity to the holder member 80 and attaches at its free extremity to a chain 92 having a hook 94 removably positioned thereon and adapted to the hook through a portion of the chain and an aperture 95 in the holder member 70 to adjustably space the holder members on the bar and accommodate varying width dimension of frames or windows. The holder member 70 may be adjustably positioned at the other extremity by placing the same through the various apertures 75 therein to provide this adjustment. The hook will then be connected to the chain at varying points along its extent to vary the position of the holder member 80 on the bar 40, to correspond with the adjustment and provide the proper bias on the frame through the holder members. The spacing between the holder members will be such that the spring 90 will be stretched whenever a frame is to be positioned in the holder so that upon release thereof the tension of the spring and the pointed surfaces 85, 78 on the holder members will engage the edges of the frame and securely hold the same between the holder members.

My improved adjustable frame holder is particularly adaptable for the holding of storm windows and screens having a wood frame for the purposes of painting or repair work thereon. The supporting bar 40 and any frame mounted thereon will be capable of being moved through a plurality of angular positions, such as indicated in FIG. 2. Thus with a given number of apertures therein, a plurality of angular positions of adjustment may be provided.

in FIG. 3 a frame 100 simulating a screen or storm window is shown mounted in the adjustable frame holder with the position of adjustment of the same and being shown in phantom as at 102. The adjustable frame holder may be positioned in a variety of angular positions by operation of the pedal 65 and manual rotation of the holder bar to enable the user to position the frame for ease in painting or repair work thereon. This is particularly true in painting, where the surfaces worked on is adjacent the glass or screen and are inclined at an angle to or normal to the facing surface of the frame. Such adjustment provides for ease in reaching such surfaces and reducing the problems of holding and changing the position of the frame being painted. The improved adjustable frame holder is also applicable in the field of weaving or similar needlepoint working where the material being worked on will be held upon a wooden frame. The adjustability of the frame relative to the person working thereon permits accessibility to the surfaces being worked on. When the adjustable frame holder is not in use, the tripod legs collapse and the bar member may be positioned so as to provide a compact structure for storage and handling.

What is claimed is:

1. An adjustable frame holder comprising, a stand section having an upright support member extending therefrom, a plate member attached to the upright support member and positioned near the free extremity of the same, shaft means carried by the plate member in extending normal thereto, a second plate member pivotally mounted on the shaft in sliding contact with the first plate member and adapted to rotate on the shaft, a bar fixed to the second plate member and movable therewith, a first frame holder member fixed to the bar near one extremity of the same, and a second frame holder member adjustably positioned on the bar and spaced from the first frame holder member, said frame holder members being adapted to move relative to one another to grip a frame therebetween and hold it on the upright support member for rotation relative thereto, means operative to lock the first and second plate members against relative movement, said means including apertures in the plate members and a pin adapted to be positioned through the apertures with the pin being carried by a pivotally mounted plate positioned on the upright support member to be slidably positioned through the apertures in the plate members, and an operating linkage extending down the extent of the upright support member and adapted to be moved to rotate the pivotally mounted plate and slidably position the pin carried thereby.

2. The adjustable frame holder of claim No. l in which the stand section includes a telescopic tripod structure connected in part to an extremity of the upright support member.

3. An adjustable frame holder comprising, a stand section having an upright support extending therefrom, a plate member attached to the upright support member and positioned near the free extremity of the same, shaft means carried by the plate member in extending normal thereto, a second plate member pivotally mounted on the shaft in sliding contact with the first plate member and adapted to rotate on the shaft, a bar fixed to the second plate member and movable therewith, a first frame holder member fixed to the bar near one extremity of the same, and a second frame holder member adjustably positioned on the bar and spaced from the first frame holder member, said frame holder members being adapted to move relative to one another to grip a frame therebetween and hold it on the upright support member for rotation relative thereto, said first and second frame holder members being L-shaped shaped bracket members with the first frame holder member being fixed to the bar and the second frame holder member being slidably mounted on the bar for movement relative thereto.

4. The adjustable frame holder of claim No. 3 in which the frame holder members include gripping surfaces thereon, and including spring means connecting the frame holder members.

5. The adjustable frame holder of claim No. 4 in which the gripping surfaces are screw means extending through one side of each L-shaped frame holder members and facing the opposite frame holder member.

6. The adjustable frame holder of claim No. 3 in which the first frame holder member is mounted on the bar through a nut and bolt means and including a plurality of holes in the bar for adjustably positioning said first frame holder member along the extent of the bar at said holes.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTEFECATE 0F CQRECTEON Patent No. 3 632 lOl Dated Janna v 4. 1972 Inventor (s) GeQrqe E, Ross It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Claim 3 Line 2 after "support" insert member Signed and sealed this 2nd day of May 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLE1CHER,JR. ROBERT GO'ITSGHALK Attesting Officer Comissioner of Patents USCOMM-DC 60376-P69 u.s, GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: I965 0-365-334 ORM PO-IOSO (10-69) 

1. An adjustable frame holder comprising, a stand section having an upright suPport member extending therefrom, a plate member attached to the upright support member and positioned near the free extremity of the same, shaft means carried by the plate member in extending normal thereto, a second plate member pivotally mounted on the shaft in sliding contact with the first plate member and adapted to rotate on the shaft, a bar fixed to the second plate member and movable therewith, a first frame holder member fixed to the bar near one extremity of the same, and a second frame holder member adjustably positioned on the bar and spaced from the first frame holder member, said frame holder members being adapted to move relative to one another to grip a frame therebetween and hold it on the upright support member for rotation relative thereto, means operative to lock the first and second plate members against relative movement, said means including apertures in the plate members and a pin adapted to be positioned through the apertures with the pin being carried by a pivotally mounted plate positioned on the upright support member to be slidably positioned through the apertures in the plate members, and an operating linkage extending down the extent of the upright support member and adapted to be moved to rotate the pivotally mounted plate and slidably position the pin carried thereby.
 2. The adjustable frame holder of claim No. 1 in which the stand section includes a telescopic tripod structure connected in part to an extremity of the upright support member.
 3. An adjustable frame holder comprising, a stand section having an upright support extending therefrom, a plate member attached to the upright support member and positioned near the free extremity of the same, shaft means carried by the plate member in extending normal thereto, a second plate member pivotally mounted on the shaft in sliding contact with the first plate member and adapted to rotate on the shaft, a bar fixed to the second plate member and movable therewith, a first frame holder member fixed to the bar near one extremity of the same, and a second frame holder member adjustably positioned on the bar and spaced from the first frame holder member, said frame holder members being adapted to move relative to one another to grip a frame therebetween and hold it on the upright support member for rotation relative thereto, said first and second frame holder members being L-shaped bracket members with the first frame holder member being fixed to the bar and the second frame holder member being slidably mounted on the bar for movement relative thereto.
 4. The adjustable frame holder of claim No. 3 in which the frame holder members include gripping surfaces thereon, and including spring means connecting the frame holder members.
 5. The adjustable frame holder of claim No. 4 in which the gripping surfaces are screw means extending through one side of each L-shaped frame holder members and facing the opposite frame holder member.
 6. The adjustable frame holder of claim No. 3 in which the first frame holder member is mounted on the bar through a nut and bolt means and including a plurality of holes in the bar for adjustably positioning said first frame holder member along the extent of the bar at said holes. 